The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-09-30
THE HAUNTED CABIN.

20 ~ booSi oAlS PU6OltilCt
and more than one OF our boys had
developed into quite exper. trappers,
but none more so than myself. In
deed, my success in this line had gain.
t@ssdstofspas ma tttlasEsp4tatlon-sss s,-ye,4
One clear. cold day, with one of the
mountameers as guide Aadass,stant, T.
left the camp for the purpose of set
$ ting some t'apsina ditferentpart OF
tha.gange frosa ANY yetSHiA&ed. 5 =
After sH long and tedious tramp
tRrn,'5h dense jungles, and many ard
3 uohscllmbs IN precipitous slopes and
down ag in, we found ourselves in the
middle OF the s%iterhoen .near-the top
OF one OF the loftiest peaks and agood
tenfmiles + oaR camp. srsr ga.
We.,lhadsnog Intended t%o;cohslne 50
MUGS tine Over The traps, But had be-.
comeso closely occupied as to fail to
; note how fastst the day WAS going.
saw an anxious look o~verspread
my companions face. -
pm afraid hits gwineter snow,T
he said, after a moments troubledex-
amipation OF the clouds, overhead
y ATlfe words we're SCARCELY: oRt-whsn
several flakes began to drift down.
ward.
Noh q C'aly 0tl ullCIlSlSt-
BILE one, on an exposed mountain-top
! with an altitude Of more than 5000
feet, II heavysnowstor mimminent, and
the nearest human habitation atleast
six miles away.
Wehadg gone about threeor four hun
dred yards furtheE-ths,st storm ipcreaS,.
ing every moment, when suddenly we
came. square upon q small, some
what diapiuatsd}l log cabin inakind off
hollow cave at the very base ofatow-
ering ledge of rockss.a1h so sYal owed
upin the densegloonfsof thu bstsams
that but for our a:rnost 81 bling up
against it 1t would have entirely es-
capeu our notice.
With a feeling of devout thankful
ness Iplaced MY hand upon the some.
what shaky door for the purpose Of
pushing it open to enter, when to my
intense astonishment. my companion
drew back with a frightened cry. CIV
"For Gods sake doan go in thar!"'
he entreated in hoarse, thick tones
Hits a haunted PLACE, an tharsse a.
curse a.hangin' over itever senccAJubes
Higgins got that bad.tuk with ther.
drink ez tar murder bis wife an baby
Jube nisse'f TUX ter ther mounting
aps2.never mas heard sofsna~mo,' an,
1alet pHistll un@ paDyB
forever a-hantings OF Tier. place an
acrvin' out. I've heard ther voices
many a.ti4s amyse1 s-cominFdoxnss
HIM Like ali the mdsntainsets,sI 20
foupdsAhim aosse&ed sof DO small,
amount of superstition. 4a8 I s j
~ gssN othin Sgood:lEcom me hhiitt..; 4 tell,
vel" he cried. almost frantically.
None ~osct,othef o us, mebbe both, "
hev ter 60 eff we enter that cursid
place"
He finally allowed himself to be ledin-
to the cabin, although | could plain
ly see his superstitious fears were by
no means allayed.
1t was a double log cabin with a
somewhat larger front room and a
much smaller back one divided by a
thin partition. Overhead in the
frontssoom there q a 1otyssreachsds
hy,a 1adder%in Me BACK r6om. 3Sssss III
~ OF this much ] took 1iote by GIN dims
light thensapervadings sthssapXoe. L
xodaddiavaEncntinued m~ysinsestiga-
tions but for the intensedarkness
that had SO suddenly settled down
upon us, caused ! well knew by the
intrease.ihs thest0tm. By means Of
the leaves and dried twigs that had
collected near one OF the windows,
and by tearing up the old ladder,
which we found to be quite rotten,
we soop had q fire kindled in the broad
fireplace, for we had taken the pre-.
caution to provide ourselves with
matches.
beside.
me during all these operations. In.
deed, he did not once allow me to get
beyond the reach OF his hand.
.suss.-II laughed to myself ~ little over
:, his somewhat fudicrous appearances
and openly rallied him several times.
IN regard to his foolish1ears and sup
erstitionsyas Buttfa .niornentts later /
turned almost faint with horror as
the fire, blazing up. showed me a pool
of blood directly beside me!
( 1t was ,ot considerable size and
freshly spilled. "A cold shiyeI passed
q oger1lge. and Iyfelt, my heart, sink, If
not literally down,to.mys boots, then
= very near toftheml, in my imagination.
Asi was sitting directly between.
the horrible SPOT ard my companion
.+he5dld not see it, ahdswith q feeling Of
detout lbankfnlness ] managed With
: , ~otitEexciting his suspicious, to, cover
it up with a portion OF the leaves we
had piled near the hearth,
As we Here dispatching thu remains
Of our dinner my companion, not
Hithout9 OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
however, and q white, scared face
with lips that scarcely pronounced
the woods above whisper relatedsto
me in hill horrible story Of the drink
frenzy had murdered his loving wife
and innocent little Gaby.
BY this time. the night had fairly
settled down upon us, and the dark-
ness, save where the dim glow, Of the
fire rested, was simpenetrable. The
: thick shadows enveIopadsg aus even
where we sat for, thefaei abeingspoor,
: We fad continually toscoax our, fire
to buzz, and, We're Often without even
a pfeteles pfa blaze. -
Suddenly as my ttompanion
vas describing to me theterribls head
!. aleng rush with which the t.enzied Hig-
&a had sprung. upon Lis crbpching'
utfcwthaTe came iexcing through ,the
a stsA5ek wall Of darkness behind US the
ata~rtliagly distinct soundsef ~ heavy
.esAedYsrushipg througIsspace, and the
after-the Same sound repeat
"a .ssacirin stur1 followed by q dull
ttnd and then the noise otheayy, IN
cIrt ainRfbOtstaps.iIs Z safssg DRY
Nitf6A hoarse, cry my ce5npanion'
; Asprang suddenly upward, but fell
again .toshis knees. While ciaspingh his,
arms conyn!siyeiy;. Yet tightly, abotTij
q s.ay sbodyS, re fxeds Es eyes lponsrhe;
/, Y one long. appealing Departing
- bad Just plassaa, ~ hasndaipon my.
stiou'der rs fsdssnfe niYhfsss and was
~ = ~ 4 49,